I could hear him supporting me

Muay Thai striker Vladimir Kuzmin had one of ONE Championship’s loudest supporters cheering him on during his clash inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on January 23.

The 28-year-old Russian dominated promotional newcomer Mohanad Battbootti in their featherweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video.

His superior ring control and precision striking broke down ‘Solo’s perfect slate across three rounds.

During his post-fight one-on-one interview with Atkin, the Fight Club Archangel Michael product revealed how two-division ONE MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin’s vocal presence impacted his performance.

“It made me feel really good knowing that he praised me. He was actually supposed to be in my corner, but it didn’t work out. But knowing he was right there…I could hear him supporting me, watching me, I think everyone could hear him at some point,” Vladimir Kuzmin told Atkin via translator.

“He’s someone that’s great to have in your support team. I could definitely hear him out there. In the third round, I felt like I was getting tired. And I asked my coach to help me keep track of the time. And he passed down the time to Malykhin, and he was making it known to me. Thank you, Anatoly,” Kuzmin continued.

Check out his full interview with Atkin here:

Kuzmin’s win inside the Thai capital last week extended his active winning streak to two in a row. Last July, the Russian earned a unanimous decision win over Irishman Stefan Korodi.

Vladimir Kuzmin says MMA move is on his radar

Vladimir Kuzmin is prepared to strap on the four-ounce gloves once more after cruising to another comfortable win on the global stage. However, the Russian stiker hinted that it could come in an entirely different ruleset.

In the same exchange with Atkin, the 28-year-old made it known that he wishes to test himself in mixed martial arts next.

“Yeah, MMA’s next. I’m ready for MMA, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Let’s go….in bantamweight,” he added.

North American fight fans who missed ONE Fight Night 39 can watch the full event replay on Amazon Prime Video. Fight fans around the world can watch the replay on ONE’s YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com.